Girls Preview - PIAA District 3 Championships
Class A
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 1
In the individual battle in D3-A, Annville-Cleona's Braetan Peters will go for the win. She was the top 1A finisher at the early-season Ben Bloser Invite. But Kutztown's Erika Moriarty won the battle between her and Peters the last time the pair faced off at the Carlisle Invite in the Champions Race. This should be a close one up front.
The Camp Hill duo of Grace Shartle and Janelyn Vorkapich, the Delone Catholic duo of Julia Obrien and Becky Hernandez, Fairfield Area's Morgan Dennison are among the other contenders here, in what could turn into a crowded lead pack in the first race of the day
Camp Hill will be the team to beat for the one and only state qualifying spot. Despite not having Laura Sakol this season, who was expected to be the team's No. 1 runner and a state medal threat, Camp Hill has still proven to be a force in D3-A.
Annville-Cleona and Delone Catholic will look to keep it close, but this win will likely go to Camp Hill.
Class AA
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 3
It's one last race at Big Spring for Northern's Marlee Starliper and Greencastle-Antrim's Taryn Parks. The pair have been racing each other at the Newville course for the last three years. It will come to an end on Saturday with one last district XC race.
Starliper is the favorite. The new NC State commit has one each of the last two years and will be expected to make it three-in-a-row on Saturday. If the conditions cooperate, Starliper will have a shot at a sub-17 performance. Last year, she went 17:19 in the mud and pouring rain, so she should get an opportunity to drop something quick.
Parks went 17:53 to win the Mid Penn title last week. That's a 5K PR for her and a sign that she's starting to turn over at the right time. She's not afraid to race aggressively with Starliper in XC and we could see more of that on Saturday.
While Starliper and Parks get ready for their last run at Big Spring, we'll also get a glimpse to the future (and the present for that matter). Peyton Ellis, a freshman at Boiling Springs, has been among the state's top ninth graders this season. She's won a pair of races this season and was third at Mid Penns and should be one to watch on Saturday and for the next few years.
Wyomissing's Grace Kuhn, Greencastle's Isabella Weaver, and the Northern trio of Katie Anthony, Madison Saltsburg, and Allie Engle will be among the others to watch for in this field.
Northern will be the team to beat, as the Polar Bears look to solidify their spot as AA's top squad in the state. Starliper will likely be the one-stick up front, but Northern has great depth after their leader. Anthony, Saltsburg, and Engle will all look for top 15 finishes.
Donegal is a squad that can't be slept on. They were second at Ben Bloser behind only D6 power Central Cambria. While they may not have a pure frontrunner, they have a strong group of girls that should have a gap of around a minute.
Boiling Springs, Wyomissing Area, Gettysburg, Oley Valley, and York Suburban are among the teams that will be in contention for that third and final states spot.
Class AAA
- State Qualifying Spots For Teams: 4
There is some incredible talent in D3-AAA this season and it will be on display on Saturday at Big Spring. Individually, it will be a clash between some of the state's top AAA with no shortage of state medal contenders.
The one to beat is Gwyneth Young of Cedar Crest. She won at Big Spring's Ben Bloser Invite and claimed the LL League title, but also went 17:54 on a quick day at Paul Short. The junior was second in the district and sixth in the state last season, but she's running even better this fall and will be tough to beat.
Last year's district champ Emily Schuler of Dallastown will be a factor, as well. The senior has consistently been logging big performances at big meets since her freshman year and she'll be in the mix. Northeastern's Margaret Carroll beat Schuler for the YAIAA title last week. She's had a breakthrough fall and should be right up front with the other contenders. Speaking of YAIAA breakthroughs, Gwendolyn Lloyd has had a great season as well. Along with her sister, Kiersten Lloyd, Red Lion will have a pair of girls in the mix for top five finishes.
Carlisle's Sophia Toti, the Mid Penn runner-up, is enjoying a big season, as well. The Penn State recruit has been consistently turning in quality performances all season and that should continue. Wilson's Caryn Rippey is in just her first season of XC, but the sophomore has made a big impact. She ran to the Berks County title and should be a factor in D3-AAA.
Elizabethtown's Katie Locker, Mechanicsburg's Hope McKenney, Chambersburg's Keira Whitehead, and Exeter's Kat Kerchner will be among a crowded group of girls shooting for top ten finishes.
The team race has the potential to get very interesting for the win and the three other state qualifying spots.
PA No. 3 Chambersburg comes in as the favorite. C'Burg has broken through this fall with some big performances, including most recently a Mid Penn runner-up finish. Whitehead, along with freshman Camryn Kiser, Maddie Kinton, and Olivia Rieck are a strong core for this squad.
But there are some upstart squads lurking. Hershey has been on the rise. They were third at Mid Penns, just seven points off Chambersburg. They have some great depth with an order that seems to change meet-by-meet.
Northeastern has been impressive all season long, including a sixth place Carlisle Invite finish and a fourth place Paul Short finish. But Dallastown pulled off the upset at the YAIAA Championships, a sign that their depth is starting to come around at the right time. D'Town are the defending district champs and look to be gearing up for another big districts run on Saturday. Can they hold up in a larger field?
Governor Mifflin edged out Wilson for the Berks County crown on a tiebreaker. Exeter Township was a close third in that meet. All three teams have some quality depth across the board. Remember that last year the BCIAA took three of the four state qualifying spots with those three aforementioned teams. Could it be another big day for Berks at Big Spring?
Carlisle, Mechanicsburg Area, and Cumberland Valley went 4-5-6 at Mid Penns. On their return to Big Spring, each of those squads will be looking for a big day to claim a spot in the top four, which they are capable of. Hempfield claimed the LL League by three over Cedar Crest with a slim 1-5 spread. If that pack can move up, they can get in the mix, too.